Latest Mississippi River Delta News: March 7, 2013

On trial for Gulf oil spill, BP faces the price of profit
By Kailani Koenig-Muenster, MSNBC. March 6, 2013.
“In New Orleans, the first phase of one of the largest environmental trials in U.S. history is underway.

Three years after the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, the civil trial will determine the share of liability for companies involved…” (Read more)

Cement in BP Macondo well never dried, leading to the blowout, expert witness testifies
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). March 6, 2013.
“The cement pumped into the BP Macondo well a day before it blew out on April 20, 2010, was not given enough time to “set,” or harden, before a negative pressure test was run that allowed oil and natural gas to travel up the drill pipe to the surface, where it exploded aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, an oil well cementing expert testified Wednesday…” (Read more)

New Orleans, state officials and National Wildlife Federation to discuss spending BP oil spill money on coastal issues
By Richard Rainey, The Times-Picayune. March 6, 2013.
“With the trial over the largest oil spill in U.S. history underway, state and city officials, along with the National Wildlife Federation, will meet Thursday in New Orleans to publicly discuss how to best spend recovery money on coastal restoration and storm protection…” (Read more)

BP Oil Spill Payout May Be Billions Higher Than Initially Expected, New Court Ruling Shows
Reuters. March 7, 2013.
“LONDON, March 7 (Reuters) – BP must keep paying certain types of oil spill compensation in much larger amounts and to more parties than it was expecting, according to a court ruling this week, which could add billions of dollars to its final bill…” (Read more)

Ronnie Sepulvado, Ex-BP Rig Supervisor, Testifies At Gulf Spill Trial
By Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press. March 6, 2013.
“NEW ORLEANS — A retired BP employee who supervised drilling operations on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico testified Wednesday that he never felt pressure to sacrifice safety to save money, even though the project was behind schedule and over budget…” (Read more)